7 Ways to Cultivate a Deep Sense of Love for Yourself

“You can be the most beautiful person in the world and everybody sees light and rainbows when they look at you, but if you yourself don’t know it, all of that doesn’t even matter. Every second that you spend on doubting your worth, every moment that you use to criticize yourself; is a second of your life wasted, is a moment of your life thrown away. It’s not like you have forever, so don’t waste any of your seconds, don’t throw even one of your moments away.” – C. Joybell C.

As you journey through life, you may have encounters that would introduce you about love in many forms. Let us say that one of the most famous kind of love is something that is romantic. It is the kind of love that everyone is talking about – the excitement, the heartbreak. At the bottom of it all, self-love is actually one of the most essential kind of love that needs to be cultivated for it is the compass that will lead you to the other forms of love there is.

When I was younger, I thought that loving myself meant looking great – make-up, clothes, trends, and imagery. Later in life I realized that loving myself means cultivating that deeper sense of value from the indie. Investing on my passions and seeing the light in who I really am. Are you feeling empty even in the company of others? Are you feeling always insecure no matter how hard you try?

Here are 7 ways to cultivate a deep sense of love for yourself:

1) Embody love in everything you do

Even in the littlest things, you have to embody love. As you do a small task at hand, you have to give your full attention. Remember to slow down and feel the moment. As you feel each moment, you are also giving away your heart fully to what you do. Through this, you develop a deeper bond to what you do. In the longer run, you will give love to anything you do and enjoy it with all of your heart.

This is how you’d find yourself in-love with things that complete your day, little moments that affect you.

2) Make acceptance a major part of your life

Whenever we go through something really difficult in our lives, we tend to get so depressed and shut our doors to the light at the end of the tunnel. I can definitely empathize. I remember how I cursed the world and this life when I went through a tough phase. It was when I felt nothing made sense and I’d better leave. The truth is, whenever we just let our heart find peace, we can deeply tap to that special space of acceptance. We can understand clearly that no matter how challenging the time or the situation is, it leads us to something better – resilience, faith, and courage.

Accept yourself in the most trying times. You are becoming stronger and more beautiful.

3) Share compassion no matter what

Sometimes, it is so easy to judge and to hate someone else. Life is busy and we tend to get irritated to easily. We also get caught up with too much pressures. When you are at the brink of hating or disliking too much, think of that person’s situation. Just like you and me, other people also have to deal with their own insecurities and hardships. Be the better person by giving way to understanding and consideration. Know that whenever you share compassion to someone, you are also giving peace to your own weaknesses.

Compassion is your linkage to humanity.

4) Give time to stillness

Our pure nature is love and we can reconnect to it no matter chaotic the times are by being still. Stillness let us feel our beauty, your weakness, and everything we tend to forget and forsake sometimes. As you give more time to it, you are also giving more space to your own spiritual nourishment. As you discover your inner fire and beauty, you will realize your true value, you will learn to deal with your own shortcomings with maturity, and you will fuel your life with your own passions.

5) Examine your thoughts at the end of the day

Our thoughts are so powerful. When we think negatively, we feel it too. When we think of goodness and light, we also radiate these thoughts. One good thing you can do is take note and examine your thoughts for an entire day. Through this you are able to pin down those unnecessary patterns that make you feel insecure and inadequate. Let your thoughts welcome the good, the healthy. Let your thoughts be made of hope and dreams.

Think of how you love yourself and how you are loved.

6) Choose a loving environment

Stay away from people who drain your good energies. There are those who can’t send and entire day without saying bad things and whining about anything. Love breathes free in an environment that is encouraging and supportive. When you are loved, you also look into your inner gems.

Be around those who radiate for you will never get lost in finding your own self-love.

7) Listen to your intuition

Oftentimes, we hear a tiny voice telling us what to do. Then, out of fear, we set it aside.. Only to find out that it was the best choice. This is our intuition. Loving yourself means following your real path. It is only when you follow your intuition that you give yourself all the chance in the world to flourish and to reach your optimum potential. There is magic inside you when you allow your intuition to grow each time you follow it.

Each time you follow your intuition, you will discover that you are made of love. You are love.